Sudan Accuses Ethiopia, UAE of Drone Attacks
Federica Marsi, Al Jazeera English
Sudan has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia and accused it, along with the United Arab Emirates, of orchestrating drone strikes on Sudanese territory, including Khartoum airport. Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab said the government has evidence of four attacks since March 1. Sudan warns it is ready for open confrontation if necessary.
Sudan's military spokesman, Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab, said on May 5 that the government has evidence of four drone attacks since March 1, originating from Ethiopia's Bahir Dar airport. Sudan accuses the UAE of supplying the drones used in these strikes. "What Ethiopia and the UAE are doing is a direct act of aggression against Sudan and will not go unanswered," Abdelwahab stated.
Sudan's Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem warned that while Khartoum will not initiate attacks on other countries, "whoever attacks us will face retaliation." He stressed Sudan is ready to "enter into open confrontation" with Ethiopia "if necessary."
The statements came after a drone strike Monday targeted the airport in the capital Khartoum. Previous strikes also hit Kordofan, Blue Nile, and White Nile states. An attack Saturday on Omdurman, Sudan's second-largest city, killed five people on a civilian bus. Another strike on Sunday in central Gezira state killed relatives of a commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, a group that previously defected from the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The attacks have shattered the fragile calm in the capital, which recently saw its first international flight in three years. Sudan's conflict erupted in April 2023 between the government army (SAF) and the paramilitary RSF.
Reactions from Ethiopia and UAE
Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Sudan's allegations as "unfounded," and counter-accused Sudan of providing weapons and financial support to "mercenaries" from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which clashed with the Ethiopian federal government from 2020 to 2022. Ethiopia claimed these actions were directed by external forces pursuing a "dark agenda."
A UAE official, speaking anonymously, called Sudan's accusations "fabricated" and part of a blame-shifting scheme to prolong the war and obstruct peace efforts. However, Sudan said it has concrete evidence that UAE-made drones were launched from Ethiopia to attack the Sudanese military.
The bilateral tensions occur amid a long-running border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia in the al-Fashaga region, as well as disagreements over Ethiopia's construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.
Alan Boswell, Horn of Africa director for the International Crisis Group, said the escalation of mutual accusations is creating a "very dangerous" dynamic between the two countries, worsening internal challenges and regionalizing the conflicts.
